FIGS. 7 and 8 show a fixing structure of a separate leaf spring in a female type terminal fitting shown in PTL 1 described below.
A female type terminal fitting 101 shown herein includes a female terminal main body 110 which is formed by press molding of a metallic plate, and a leaf spring 120 made of a metallic plate which is formed separately from the female terminal main body 110 and is fixed to the female terminal main body 110.
The female terminal main body 110 includes a square cylinder shaped fitting cylinder section 111 into which a male terminal can be inserted, and an electric wire pressing section 112 connected to a back side of the fitting cylinder section 111. The fitting cylinder section 111 and the electric wire pressing section 112 are formed by performing the press-molding. In the fitting cylinder section 111, fixing holes 130 for fixing the leaf spring 120 are formed through both side plates 111b which are bent and molded on both sides of a bottom plate 111a in a standing state.
The leaf spring 120 is fixed and installed in the fitting cylinder section 111. The leaf spring 120 presses the male type terminal inserted into the fitting cylinder section 111, and causes the male type terminal and the fitting cylinder section 111 to be in a conduction state.
As shown in FIG. 7, the leaf spring 120 is provided with fixing pieces 121 for joining to the fitting cylinder section 111 on both sides thereof.
In the fixing structure of the separate leaf spring disclosed in PTL 1 described below, as shown in FIG. 7, before molding the side plates 111b onto both sides of the bottom plate 111a in the standing state, the leaf spring 120 is mounted on the bottom plate 111a. In that state, by bending the side plates 111b of both sides of the bottom plate 111a in the standing state, and fitting the fixing pieces 121 of the both sides of the leaf spring 120 to the fixing hole 130 of the both side plates 111b, a state where the fixing hole 130 is fixed into the fitting cylinder section 111 is obtained.